“Human thinking depends on metaphor. We understand new or complex things in relation to things we already know.” — Jonathan Haidt 1
Hooks require premeditation
Storytelling is the art of strategically withholding information. Before you begin, you must decide which details to conceal until the very end—to keep the audience in suspense.
As Anton Chekhov 2 said, “One must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn’t going to go off.” (Chekhov’s Gun) Every element in a story must serve a purpose. If it doesn’t, it’s a false promise—and should be removed entirely.
Once the essential pieces are in place, the storyteller’s task is to stretch the tension. When the audience finally reaches the nail-biting moment of truth, you don’t rush to the answer—you linger there.
Think of the climax of a blockbuster film: the action never resolves in seconds, even if that’s how long it would realistically take. Every punch is slowed down. Every detail is magnified.
In other words, storytelling isn’t just the art of withholding information—it’s also the art of time dilation.
Storytelling Engagement = Novelty × Resonance
The cat sat on a mat. → The cat sat on a dog’s mat.
Structure is everything
- Basic
- past → present → future
- setup → tension → resolution
- Advanced
- Dan Harmon’s story circle
- Kurt Vonnegut’s story graphs
- Gustav Freytag’s pyramid of storytelling
Spoken storytelling is a form of music
Every great storyteller I’ve studied shares one hidden instrument: vocal rhythm.
It’s the music behind the words — the way they play with:
- Speed – slowing down for weight, speeding up for excitement.
- Volume – whispering to draw you in, rising to lift you up.
- Enthusiasm – letting emotion color the tone.
- Staccato and rhyme – adding pulse and pattern.
But above all, vocal rhythm is the art of purposeful silence.